New chainsaws compared to old chainsaws

[blkhillsvt]

In a recent conversation with a friend who works on chainsaws we discussed the difference between older chainsaws without the "emmission control" in comparision to the new ones that have it. His opinion was kinda like comparing gas with Ethynol versus gas without......basically no comparison, older saws are easier and cheaper to work on plus have better performance. Can anyone shed some of their wisdom on this subject so I can get other view points?

[tyb525]

Don't have an opinion as I've not used "New" saws enough, but I can say I use an '80s stihl 038 Magnum almost exclusively and I love it. No emission gimmicks on that one.

[Al_Smith]

As I've said before I have several 038's ,two mags and an AV .Stock they do fine ,enhanced more so .

Of all the older saws the most impressize in stock form has to be the 181/281 Husqvarna IMO .

Of course this topic is argumenative and debatable .More often comments are made by hearsay rather than actual experiance, he said she said .

Being somewhat of a preserver and small time collector of McCullochs I don't discount any saw because of the brand name affixed to it . Some are good ,some not so much .

[HolmenTree]

Of all the older saws the most impressize in stock form has to be the 181/281 Husqvarna IMO .

Yes I have to agree with you also Al.
The 181 SE was called the "new concept" saw when introduced in 1982. One of the best if not the "highest power to weight ratio" saw at the time, with all the good handling ergonomics and thermal efficiencies with their new "power flow" piston. It wasn't until 4 years later in 1986 that Stihl answered with their 064AV.
But if we go back to 1976 the saw that revolutionized the chainsaw industry was the Husqvarna 162 SE. From the outside it looked exactly like a smaller version of the yet to be born 181 SE. This saw came from before the 1978 AB Electrolux acquisition period and along with the 2100 introduced in 1975 was solely Husqvarna. Some say the fire that heavily damaged Husqvarna's plant and then moving into a newer larger $3 million plant in 1974 changed the companies future for the good.
 Another note when everyone else was thinking about installing chain brakes the 2100 and 162 already had the best design fully adjustable chain brake even compared to todays  standards.

Willard.

[Al_Smith]

There's always been talk that between the 181 Husky and the 048 Stihl being the highest HP per weight at the time .The 048 was short lived though and not much is mentioned about it except the possibility of it being a noted case leaker  because of design.

I have both in the shed and give the Husky a heads up over the Stihl .The Husky has about 5 ccs more though so that could help a teeny bit . Plus that praticular  048 is getting a tad low on compression so who really knows . A set of rings, on the to do list along with about a thousand other things .

[HolmenTree]

A old logging buddie Barry Angus ran a Stihl 048. Looked like a oversized 038 with a huge top cover on it, heavy too. About 2 lbs heavier then the larger displacement Husky 181.
Barry said it was a very reliable saw though.

Willard.

[roostersgt]

I guess you'd have to compare like brands and models for a decent opinion. I know my new Stihl MS290 runs circles around my 20+ year old Craftsman and Mac Cat. Starts easier and is far more powerful, lil heavier, but that's okay.

I like to think a good comparison would be to put two Corvettes side by side, one older and one newer. Sure, the older ones were a lot easier to work on, but the newer ones are far better engineered and exponentionally better performers in handling, fuel economy and outright performance. Having owned a dozen or so classics and newer versions, I can tell you the newer ones are better in every category, except re-sale. T

The engineering that goes into new machinery is extrordinary. I'll go out on a limb and state I believe the same might go for chainsaw technology. They're now lighter and more powerful and from what I've heard seem to last longer between rebuilds. What say those who have owned both new and old?   

[Ianab]

Remember too that the old saws that we remember fondly were the cream of the crop. There were some really Junk saws made back in the day too. They have just been thrown away in disgust when they didn't start or vibrated their owners hands off.

I agree the old saws were simpler and easier to work on, but then you usually had to more often. Points in the ignition anyone?

Give me the newer saws any day 

Ian

[HolmenTree]

If we using pro saws as an example, breaker point ignition went out in 1979-80.
 The 2 big name Pro saw companies [Husqvarna, Stihl] built from 1985 to 1995 were built to their best possible basic engineering to today standards.
Now in the last few years engineering for the big two has gone from basic to advanced with the new strato charging and computer control systems. Carburation and ignition completely controled by a computer or micro processor. Just like what our automobile have evolved from.
The only thing missing for these new chainsaws is fuel injection, but give it time it will come.

Willard.

[Al_Smith]

If you took an 028,038,042 and 048 and lined them all up they would resemble a group photograph of a family .The 038 was I do believe the last of the old style .

They were all reliable and I suppose weather they were better or not depended on a persons view point .They all cut fine though .

[STIHLFULLSKIP]

i have many old saws and love everyone of them,especially  if they say "STIHL" on them. i have many great memories of my grandfather running an 076 and some old ECHOS', which are my saws now. but make no mistake about it,when i want to get the job done,i will take a new saw any day. the new stihl ms441,362,261 will cut circles around the old saws. the power to weight ratio on the new saws is much better. the new saws are much less maint.,and easier to maintain. they are different to work on,but definately not harder to work on. i would say that anyone who thinks the new stuff is harder to work on,either does not like change,or has not worked on the newer saws much.

[cgk60]

well I still have my 1980 partner S-55 still runs good and cuts pretty fast compared to my Stihl MS-290. The older saws are heavier compared to the new saws though. I don't know if my 5 year old MS-290 would last as long as my old partners. My partner 5000 plus is a pretty darn nice saw, only have the 290 to compare it to. the stihl is my only new saw in the last 30 years I bought.

[shinnlinger]

The older we get the lighter and more reliable those old saws get...

I have 3 saws from the 70's, a Johny sp49, a Partner F-55 and a Stihl 041AV  I will tell you that they all seem heavy compared to my mid 90's 2054, my newest saw, but that Partner has a chainbreak and is a close second.

[HolmenTree]

i will take a new saw any day. the new stihl ms441,362,261 will cut circles around the old saws. the power to weight ratio on the new saws is much better. the new saws are much less maint.,and easier to maintain.

I take it you haven't run a 1989 Stihl 044, a 1986 Stihl 064 , a 1982 Jonsered 630 or a 1990 Husqvarna 262XP.

Willard.

[STIHLFULLSKIP]

why would i want to run 20yr old saws  every day when i have new ones?    i own 2 044's and 1 064 as well as 1 066. all good saws. not too many people make a living w/20 year old saws. cutting cookies or firewood is one thing,running them all day,every day is another..........

[HolmenTree]

why would i want to run 20yr old saws  every day when i have new ones?    i own 2 044's and 1 064 as well as 1 066. all good saws. not too many people make a living w/20 year old saws. cutting cookies or firewood is one thing,running them all day,every day is another..........

So why did you say your new 441, 362,261 has a much better power/ weight ratio and will cut circles around the old saws

Willard.

[STIHLFULLSKIP]

why would i want to run 20yr old saws  every day when i have new ones?    i own 2 044's and 1 064 as well as 1 066. all good saws. not too many people make a living w/20 year old saws. cutting cookies or firewood is one thing,running them all day,every day is another..........

So why did you say your new 441, 362,261 has a much better power/ weight ratio and will cut circles around the old saws

Willard.
BECAUSE THEY WILL!!!!!!    DO YOU OWN ANY OF THESE NEWER SAWS?    IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ARGUE ABOUT??   this is an online forum,everyone is allowed their own opinion.  i happen to own a few of the saws you are blowing about,as well as new saws. i simply expressed my opinion,now let it die.

[alha]

Not to try to throw gas on the fire here, but I saw this thread, and read thru it hoping to find an answer I to my purchasing decision I need to make in the next couple days. I have the city telling me I need to cut down 4 trees in my backyard, due to dutch elm disease, which have actually been dead for 2-3 years. Since the bark isn't falling off of a couple of them yet, I need to remove them, or else they will hire someone and send me the bill. I have read a bit about the different opinions of newer vs. older saws, and seem to come to the conclusion that older ones are easier to work on, have fewer parts to go wrong, have no emission equip, are more powerful because of it, etc, and are probably more affordable. Reading this thread, other than the affordable part, I guess I really can't tell if my assumptions are correct or not. I hope more people chime in soon, as I plan on buying a saw in the next couple days, and was looking at Stihl 03x, 04x and even 06x series. The price seems to be reasonable if you do a bit of looking, but as I plan on this being the last saw I buy for the forseeable future, I want to make the correct choice, while not breaking the bank.

[shinnlinger]

If I wanted a good saw but didn't use it to make $ I would look at  a used stihl/husky/johny or a new Efco/Dolmar/Solo.

Local dealers would probably decide it for me but if your good with a wrench the internet seems to get it done these days....

[weimedog]

Old is a relative thing for me...we have the new generation Strato saws, the last generation saws such as the 272 thru 372 configuration saws, and then OLD saws....Metal, Heavy, parts hard to find etc.

The REALLY old saws have to be labor's of love as you will spend as much time finding parts as doing that actual project..and they are complex at times. The mid 1980's thru mid 2000 era saws are the easiest to work on by far.  AND they make good power for their weight & displacement. The news ones, the Strato saws..they have an added level of complexity with their carbs and stuff. Haven't warmed up to them yet.